We received this product free for review. All opinions remain our own.
I think both Adrienne and I are a bit wary of subscription boxes in general. The fear of encouraging the accumulation of stuff may be a direct consequence of having in-laws who show hoarding tendencies.
So while a subscription box that arrives every month may be a bit too much for our families, the idea of having a surprise arrive in the mail every so often is very appealing. Unless you are the child of a review blogger, you are unlikely to see much mail at all… so knowing a Nerd Block Jr. is on its way to you the month of your birthday, or the month of a special accomplishment, could be pretty darn exciting for most kids!
Nerd Block Jr., unlike most subscription boxes I’ve heard of, is actually shipped from Canada. Parents do not need to subscribe for a year: you can cancel your subscription at any time. The monthly box costs $13.99, plus shipping. Shipping is $6 within in Canada and the US, and $10 worldwide. (I can assure you that it costs Nerd Block more than $6 to mail it to you, by the way!)
If I ever have a niece or nephew living across the country (hint hint to brother and sister-in-law), I would love to subscribe him or her to a box like this. Then we could FaceTime every month and they could show me what they got!
Adrienne‘s Nerd Block Jr. Subscription Box Review
Getting kids excited about anything that doesn’t have a screen is pretty tough these days. Which is why, when my girls (Emma, 7 and Olivia, 5) received their Nerd Block boxes in the mail, I wasn’t expecting much of a reaction. Boy was I wrong! Apparently, the low-tech phenomenon that is the postal service is still quite the novelty for children. The boxes, which arrived in brightly covered packages addressed directly to each girl, had them pretty pumped. We received a “boy box” and a “girl box,” and while the gender specific branding had me a little bummed, it turns out that the toys themselves were pretty much identical in each box, except for one or two items. The “girl box” contained temporary tattoos, a comic book, a stuffed animal, a watch, a 3D puzzle, and a few other items. The “boy box” had Lego-type figurines, the same comic book, an Iron Man action figure, and the same watch and 3D puzzle.
As with pretty much everything these days, the toys themselves didn’t distract them for more than a couple of hours. Hubby and I had fun playing with the puzzles, and my younger son stole the Iron Man figurine. And while not everything in the box has long-term potential, I can say that the Nerd Block experience was a pretty positive one. It was nice to see that my kids can still get excited about something as simple as receiving a package in the mail, and anything that distracts them from the TV for a couple of hours is a win in my books.
Here’s how Nerd Blocks Jr. works:
Order your Nerd Block Jr. here and connect with Nerd Block on Facebook and Twitter!
Randa Derkson says
I don’t have one for myself or my children, but this one seems nice. I like the Boo dog 🙂
Bonnie Way says
That’s a really good deal for subscription boxes! We’ve tried a few over here because the girl LOVE getting mail (even though Mommy gets lots as a blogger…). I like the idea of crafts and activities coming for them so I don’t have to figure it out, though like you, I’m wary of having too much stuff. These looks fun, though. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Margarita Ibbott (@DownshiftingPRO) says
I am with you, I am not one to have extra stuff just for the fun of it. As a professional organizers, I have worked with real hoarders so it is not something I am unfamiliar with. I do admit, that my kids would love a surprise box every once in a while. Great review. Thanks.
{Erica}EverythingMomandBaby says
I don’t! I’d love one though. My son would love to get mail monthly. Especially with fun items in it.
Little Miss Kate says
Looks like a neat give idea. Looks like there are lots of great toys for both girls and boys